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Poseidon
Poseidon (Ποσειδων) was the Greek deity of the oceans, earthquakes, storms, droughts, floods, winds, water, water bodies, aquatic creatures, marine weather and horses. He held sway over the seas and waters, and is particularly known for causing tempests. Poseidon is also the patron of seafaring. One of his cult titles, Enosichthon, means "earth shaker", referring to his role in causing earthquakes. His symbols are the trident, with which he raises the waves and causes tides, and the bull, which is as aggressive as him. He is also called the "tamer of horses", as he created the first horse from the crests of the waves. His Roman counterpart is Neptune. Poseidon was the child of Kronos and Rhea, and brother to Zeus and Hades. According to some folklore, he was saved by his mother Rhea, who concealed him among a flock of lambs and pretended to have given birth to a colt, which was devoured by Kronos. Myths Immediately after Poseidon was born he was eaten whole by his father, Cronus. When Zeus was born he tricked Cronus into vomitting up his siblings and Poseidon and his other four trapped siblings were freed from their father's stomach. They started a war called the Titanomachy which lasted ten years. After the battle the three siblings; Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, drew lots to see who would rule each of Cronus' three kingdom's. The Sky, the seas, and the Underworld. Hades got the Underworld, Zeus got the sky and Ruler of Olympus, and Poseidon got the seas. Patron God of Athens: There once came a time in Ancient Greece when the first king of Athens, Cecrops, who was half person and half snake, had to find a patron deity for the city state of Athens. The two Olympian gods who were particularly interested in the patronage were Poseidon, the god of the Seas and Athena, the goddess of Wisdom and Skill. They presented themselves in front of Cecrops and Cecrops asked from them to offer a gift truly valuable for Athens. Poseidon came first: he struck the earth powerfully and created a well with his trident. Immediately, streaming water shot forth, but the water turned out to be salty and not very useful for the population. Next, it was the turn of goddess Athena. Athena stepped forward, struck her spear into the ground and then she knelt and planted an olive branch in it. This way she created an olive tree, as a symbolization of peace and prosperity on earth. Cecrops was very impressed by Athena’s gift. So he chose Athena to lay claim of the city of Athens and the city was named after her. God Poseidon, however, was not pleased with the decision of Cecrops and cursed the city of Athens to never have enough water from then on. After that, it is said that a major problem of water shortage started in Athens, which continues to this day. Poseidon and Medusa Poseidon once raped Medusa,who was a beautiful girl, more beautiful then any girl in Greece. Athena caught him raping her in Athena's temple. When Athena discovered this, she angrily turned her priestess Medusa into a monster for her losing her purity and her two sisters begged Athena to turn her back so were as well (Stheno and Euryale) turned into hideous beasts. Years later, when Perseus slayed Medusa and their son the warrior Chrysaor and the winged horse(Pegasus) were born from her blood. The Kretan Bull When Minos,the King of Crete wanted to prove that he was the rightful king,he told the Kretans that he was able to make a majestic white bull appear from the sea.Minos prayed to the gods to help him perform this feat and he would sacrifice the bull in return.Poseidon heard this prayer and made a pure white bull appear from the waves.After Minos became king,instead of sacrificing the bull like he promised,he tried to sacrifice his other bulls and kept the white bull as a pet.This greatly angered Poseidon,who,with the help of Aphrodite,made Minos's wife, Pasiphae,fall in love with the bull,leading to the birth of the Minotaur.As his seventh labor,Heracles wrestled the Kretan Bull until it tired out,then brought it before his half-brother,King Eurystheus. The Walls Of Troy Poseidon and Apollo once convinced the other gods to overthrow Zeus as he wasn't doing a good job ruling Olympus. They tied him up while he was sleeping and nearly succeeded, but at the last moment, the sea nymph Thetis along with the Hekatonkheire, Briares, freed Zeus. As a punishment, Apollo and Poseidon had to swear a solemn oath to build the famous Walls of Troy for King Laomedon. Gigantomachy In the Giant War, the chthonic sons of Gaia invaded Poseidon's kingdom, but were driven back to the surface. The gods wasted no time slaying the Giants. Poseidon chased the giant, Polybotes to the boundary of the Mediterranean, and hurled an island at him, crushing the poor giant to death. Marriage to Amphitrite Before Poseidon was married to Amphitrite he was in love with a sea nymph with Thetis. But once he heard that there was a prophecy that Thetis' son would be more powerful than his father he disliked her and fell in love with her sister Amphitrite. But Amphitrite disliked Poseidon because he was moody and a bully. But the crafty god Delphinus persuaded Amphitrite to marry him and she finally did. Poseidon was so grateful to Delphin (Delphinus) that he made him a constellation, Dolphin, in the sky. Illiad and the Odyssey In the Illiad, Poseidon conspires with Hera to make Zeus fall asleep. He nearly exposes the Underworld to the Sun. Poseidon impersonates some Greek Warriors, roars like ten thousand warriors and pushes the Trojans back, until he is summoned by Zeus. Poseidon later appears as a storyteller in the war. In the Odyssey, Poseidon is the main antagonist, responsible for Odysseus's ten years at the sea. Poseidon hated Odysseus for his arrogance, and when the hero blinds his Cyclops son, Polyphemus, the god decides to take revenge on him. Poseidon wrecks Odysseus's ships and maroons him on dangerous islands. He slowly kills all of Odysseus's crew via accidents and monsters. Odysseus survives alone and is forced to spend seven years on Calypso's island. Poseidon once again plays with Odysseus's life, until the hero reaches home. Odysseus meets Poseidon only once, in the sea, and calls him a sadist. Poseidon reminds Odysseus about his arrogance. Later Odysseus begs forgiveness from Poseidon, which the god pardons him. Personality Poseidon is mostly a benevolent god, mostly calm. He does not interact with mortals much, but he is also known for his numerous affairs with beautiful women. He is dreaded by humans and gods alike. Poseidon can be very ruthless, moody and vengeful. He hated being a subservient to his much more prominent brother, Zeus, and always looked for ways to upstage him. He does not like Athena either, for her arrogance, and disdains the goddess. Like his brother, Hades, Poseidon is also a lonesome god, hardly anyone visiting his realm. Importance, Functions and Abilities As the god of the oceans, Poseidon was one of the three most powerful Greek gods, alongside his brothers, Zeus and Hades. Like his brothers, Poseidon can control the earth. Poseidon was a dreaded god among the Greeks, and rarely interacted with mortals. The Greeks depended on the sea to carry out trade and earn their livelihood out of fishing, and prayed to Poseidon. The powerful god was also one of the many deities who could make lands fertile, and he possessed the power of prophecy. Poseidon originally presided over Delphi, before passing it to Apollo. If Poseidon was pleased, he would bless sailors with a safe voyage in the sea, make the agricultural lands fertile, provide abundant supply of freshwater or would allow trade to flourish. But if someone (like Odysseus) offended Poseidon, the god's vengeance knew no bounds. He would send powerful storms, winds and floods to kill thousands of people, wreck entire ships on islands or sink them beneath the sea; raze entire cities with devastating earthquakes or send terrible sea monsters to maraud cities. Poseidon was also known to cause mental illnesses from time to time, to punish people. When King Alcinous offended Poseidon, he cut off the Phaeacian's access to the sea, and trapped them in between steep mountains. Many gods and Olympians were afraid of Poseidon. Apollo once bragged that he was more powerful than the sea god, but fled when Poseidon faced him. Athena was afraid to directly confront Poseidon and secretly helped Odysseus. Poseidon once fought and defeated the hero, Heracles, when the latter attacked the city of Pylos. Poseidon lived in an underwater palace and as such, ruled over the denizens of his watery world. He controlled every aspect of the oceans and aquatic regions. Poseidon was more powerful than other sea deities combined and the latter were his subordinates. Poseidon posted one of them, Proteus to the icy regions in the north, to rule over these lands. He is also the creator of horses. Before the horse, Poseidon created the hippo, the camel, the giraffe and the zebra, then refined the shape to create the first horses, out of sea waves. He fought for the patronship of many cities, mainly Athens. But when the people chose Athena, Poseidon unleashed a powerful flood. Since then, Athenians gave equal worship to Poseidon. The god once again lost control of Argos against Hera, when she won by one vote. Poseidon retaliated by massacreing the local river gods, flooding the entire city and subjecting to drought. Since then, the Greeks stripped women of their right to vote. Poseidon was a patron god to majority of the Greek cities and ports, and thus earned the title of "Protector of Greece". Parents Kronos & Rhea Spouse and Other Lovers #Amphitrite ##Triton ##Benthesikyme ##Rhode ##Kymopoleia #Aphrodite ##Rhodeyomom ##Herophile the Sibyl #Demeter ##Despoina ##Arion, the talking horse #Gaia ##Antaeus ##Charybdis #Aba, nymph ##Ergiscus #Agamede ##Dictys #Aethra ##Theseus #Alistra ##Ogygus #Alcyone ##Aethusa ##Hyrieus ##Hyperenor / Hyperes ##Anthas #Alope ##Hippothoon #Amphimedusa, Danaid #Erythras #Amymone ##Nauplius #Arene ##Idas (possibly) #Arne / Melanippe ##Aeolus ##Boeotus #Arethusa ##Abas #Ascre ##Oeoclus #Astydameia, daughter of Phorbas ##Caucon #Astypalaea ##Ancaeus ##Eurypylus of Kos #Beroe (daughter of Aphrodite) #Boudeia / Bouzyge ##Erginus #Caenis #Calchinia ##Peratus #Canace ##Hopleus ##Nireus ##Aloeus ##Epopeus ##Triopas #Celaeno (Pleiad or daughter of Ergeus) ##Lycus ##Nycteus ##Eurypylus (Eurytus) of Cyrene ##Lycaon #Celaeno, Danaid ##Celaenus #Cerebia ##Dictys ##Polydectes #Ceroessa ##Byzas #Cleodora ##Parnassus #Khione ##Eumolpus #Chrysogeneia ##Chryses, father of Minyas #Corcyra, nymph ##Phaeax #Coronis #Diopatra, nymph of Mount Othrys #Euryale, daughter of Minos ##Orion (possibly) #Eurycyda ##Eleius #Eurynome (Eurymede), daughter of Nisos ##Bellerophon (possibly) #Euryte / Bathycleia ##Halirrhothius #Halia ##Rhode (possibly) ##six sons #Harpale / Scamandrodice / Calyce ##Cycnus #Helle ##Almops ##Edonus ##Paion #Hermippe ##Minyas (possibly) #Hippothoe #Taphius #Iphimedeia ##The Aloadae #Laodice #Larissa ##Achaeus ##Pelasgus ##Pythius #Leis, daughter of Orus ##Altephus #Libya ##Agenor ##Belus ##Lelex #Lysianassa / Anippe ##Busiris #Mecionice / Europa, daughter of Tityos ##Euphemus, Argonaut #Medusa ##Pegasus ##Chrysaor #Melantheia, daughter of Alpheus ##Irene #Melantho (daughter of Deucalion) ##Delphus #Melia ##Amycus ##Mygdon #Melissa, daughter of Epidamnus ##Dyrrhachius #Mestra #Mideia ##Aspledon #Molione #The Molionides #Mytilene ##Myton #Oenope ##Megareus of Onchestus (possibly) #Olbia, nymph ##Astacus #Ossa ##Sithon (possibly) #Peirene ##Cenchrias ##Leches #Periboea ##Nausithous #Pero, nymph / Kelousa, nymph ##Asopus (possibly) #Pitane, nymph / Lena ##Euadne #Phoenice ##Torone #Pronoe, daughter of Asopus ##Phocus #Rhode ##Ialysus ##Cameirus ##Lindus #Rhodope, daughter of Strymon ##Athos #Salamis, daughter of Asopus ##Cychreus #Satyria, nymph of Taras ##Taras (eponym of the location) #Syme ##Chthonius #Themisto ##Leucon (possibly) #Theophane ##Chrysomallus (Golden Fleece fame) #Thyia #Tyro ##Pelias ##Neleus #Thoosa ##Polyphemus #Daughter of Amphictyon, unnamed ##Cercyon #Nymph of Chios, unnamed ##Chios #Nymph of Chios, unnamed (another one) ##Melas ##Agelus #unknown consorts ##Amphimarus ##Amyrus, eponym of a river in Thessaly ##Astraeus and Alcippe of Mysia ##Calaurus ##Corynetes (possibly) ##Cromus (eponym of Crommyon) ##Geren, eponym of a town or village Geren on Lesbos ##Dicaeus, eponym of Dicaea, a city in Thrace ##Euseirus (father of Cerambus) ##Ialebion (Alebion) and Dercynus (Bergion) of Liguria ##Laestrygon, eponym of the Laestrygonians ##Lamus, king of the Laestrygonians ##Lilaea (possibly) ##Messapus ##Onchestus ##Ourea ##Palaestinus ##Phorbas of Acarnania ##Poltys ##Proteus ##Procrustes ##Sarpedon of Ainos ##Skeiron ##Syleus ##Taenarus (possibly) Siblings * Hestia * Hades * Demeter * Hera * Zeus Friends Apollo and Delphinus. Enemies Athena, The Trojans, and Odysseus. Temples *Because Poseidon's temple's have always been built near the sea or ocean they have been weathered away and are not in good shape today. The best temple that is still mostly intact is in Cape Sounion that has a view of the Aegean Sea. Appearance Poseidon is depicted as a tall, muscular man. He is either shown as a middle aged man with long hair and black beard, or as an old man with greyish white hair. Gallery Z2.3Poseidon.jpg|Poseidon & AmphitriteAP.01 Z2.7Poseidon.jpg|Poseidon & Amphitrite Z2.5Poseidon.jpg K2_8Poseidon.jpg|Poseidon & Amymone K2_4Poseidon.jpg|Poseidon Riding a Hippokampos Poseidon.gif|Poseidon Z2 -10Poseidon.jpg AmphitritePoussin.jpg|The Triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite, by Nicolas Poussin Gigatomachy Gallery Polybotes5.jpg PoseidonPolybotesCdm573.jpg PoseidonPolybotesLouvreF226.jpg K2.6 POSEIDON & THE GIant Polybotes.jpg|Poseidon doing battle with the Gigante Polybotes Trivia *Although Poseidon is the Lord of the Oceans, his name means the Lord of the Earth. *Horses, Bulls, Rams and all marine life are Poseidon's sacred animals. Ash trees and White Pine trees are his sacred trees. *Poseidon once convinced the other gods to overthrow Zeus and almost succeeded because the hecatonchire Briareus saved him. 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